Rajasthan crisis: Rajasthan SOG asks union minister Shekhawat to present voice sample

ABOUT THE TAPES

Rajasthan Political Crisis stepped to another level when the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) has sent a notice Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to record his voice sample.

The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police has issued a notice to the office of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat over the leaked audio tapes purportedly featuring him and a Sachin Pilot camp MLA conversing about a conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government. The SOG has asked Shekhawat to record his statement and give a voice sample.

The issue is of the Congress presenting to the media an audio tape, which purportedly proves that the BJP was in talks with some MLAs of the Rajasthan Congress party, offering money for a horse trade. The allegations are that this was what led to Sachin Pilot revolting with his 18 MLAs.

The BJP denied the charges but accused the Ashok Gehlot government of phone-tapping and demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter, claiming it to be violative of personal freedom.

QUESTION OF AUTHENTICITY

The minister has also rejected the Congress party's claim that it was him in the audio and said that he was ready for any probe.

Shekhawat has requested to know the source of the audio clips and how the state police got them.

Shekhawat said, "They (police) should first clarify about authenticity of these tapes. Who recorded it and where did the SOG get it from, Investigation should be carried out to find out if these tapes are genuine or not."

The BJP has called these clips "manufactured" and further questioning if the state police tapped phones of politicians in violation of rules.

The Congress party has also demanded Shekhawat's resignation over his alleged involvement in a 'conspiracy' to topple the Ashok Gehlot government.